Chapter Twenty-Nine: New Year's Eve

At last, the overall tone of the story is almost set—it’s truly exhausting, so I implore your support!

With the crackle of firecrackers, another year passes; the spring breeze carries warmth into our cups of Tusu wine. The first Spring Festival since Chen Jianchen crossed into this world has finally arrived. Everywhere is brimming with festive cheer: adults are slaughtering chickens and ducks, while children chase one another, laughing and playing.

On this day, every household in Jingyang Village has pasted up fresh couplets—each one penned by “the Star of Literary Talent,” Scholar Chen. Ever since Zhang Laosan blurted out that title, those three words have become synonymous with Chen Jianchen. He did not argue, nor did he see any reason to.

The wolf demon, however, met a pitiful end; it lay on the ground, utterly powerless, battered to death by the villagers. Its beautiful pelt was stripped and sold for a high price. Under Chen Jianchen’s direction, credit for the wolf demon’s defeat was given to the whole village. As a result, everyone in Jingyang Village received a share of silver, enough for a bountiful New Year.

Meanwhile, Chen Jianchen’s reputation in the village soared to new heights.

Originally, Chen Jianchen had hoped to extract the wolf demon’s inner core and present it to Ying Ning. But things went awry; when he traced the word “Righteousness” on the demon’s chest with the Demon-Banishing Brush, its inner core was shattered by the surge of righteous energy.

That was the reason for the demon’s instant collapse.

Ying Ning had quietly returned to the back mountain of Maple Hill. Before leaving, she left a letter explaining that she had been gathering information when the wolf demon discovered her, forcing her into a desperate flight. She apologized repeatedly for bringing calamity upon Jingyang Village, relieved that no one was harmed—only a few faint-hearted souls were frightened into illness. To make amends, she promised to gift them gold and silver.

Sure enough, in the days that followed, villagers would occasionally find money during their outings—quite a windfall, much to their delight. They praised their good fortune, believing the heavens favored them, and upon returning home, they would prepare offerings to the local Earth God in gratitude for this unexpected prosperity.

The headless statue of the Earth God had been replaced with a new one. No one knew why the old statue’s head had suddenly shattered. Though it looked like the work of human hands, there were no clues, so they blamed mischievous children and let the matter rest.

Ying Ning gave gold and silver to the frightened villagers, but to Chen Jianchen, she left a single message: “Your kindness is as enduring as mountains and rivers; my gratitude shall last till the end of my days.”

Chen Jianchen read it and smiled, letting the matter go.

Unlike the others, who were busy with festivities, Chen Jianchen spent most of his time quietly in his study. He claimed it was to prepare for the academy’s opening, but in truth, he was absorbing the article etched in his mind:

The True Canon of the Three Excellences.

Numbering nine hundred and eighty-one characters, the article was engraved in his heart as if by a chisel, each word unforgettable after being recited by that mysterious voice. Every phrase was a polished gem, illuminating his mind.

Chen Jianchen quickly realized that this was a secret manual for cultivating Righteous Qi, equivalent to a Daoist technique, hidden within the tip of the Demon-Banishing Brush.

Unleashing the brush revealed the true canon.

In his mind’s Mud Pellet Palace, this True Canon opened a new world—though, for now, it remained vague and chaotic, its scale and form unclear.

Within that world, there seemed to be another presence. It seemed the Demon-Banishing Brush had entered as well.

The brush had vanished into thin air shortly after its tip was unleashed. One moment it was in Chen Jianchen’s hand; the next, it was gone. Fortunately, everyone’s attention was fixed on the black wolf lying on the ground, so no one witnessed the miraculous event.

The Demon-Banishing Brush was said to have belonged to Zhong Kui, the legendary demon-catcher. Zhong Kui, a figure of myth and folklore, was described as fierce in appearance but immensely talented and learned.

But what was the true story?

Chen Jianchen did not yet know. Though the mystery was hidden in his own Mud Pellet Palace, it remained unsolved. Still, he wasn’t anxious; after all, he now held the key—the True Canon of the Three Excellences.

According to the canon, the cultivation of Righteous Qi is divided into three realms: from lowest to highest—“Establishing Words,” “Establishing Deeds,” and “Establishing Virtue.”

He who can “Establish Words” is a True Scholar; he who can “Establish Deeds” is a Great Scholar; he who can “Establish Virtue” is a Sage, whose righteous energy endures as long as heaven and earth.

These scholars are nothing like the corrupt, frail, and decadent literati of the Heavenly Unity Dynasty.

There is a world of difference between the true and the false.

Yet the True Canon is profound and vast, its meanings deep and far-reaching—far more than Chen Jianchen could fully grasp in a short time.

One must eat one bite at a time, walk one step at a time, cultivate one’s energy day by day. It is foolish to expect instant success or to give up at the first setback.

Though he no longer possessed the Demon-Banishing Brush, he now held the True Canon in his heart. The fish may be gone, but so long as one knows how to fish, why worry over a single meal?

Thus, Chen Jianchen’s heart was full and content.

…

A’bao’s heart was full and content as well. Since becoming an orphan, she had not known the warmth and care of family, forced to huddle alone in the cramped temple, surrounded by bare walls, living in constant fear.

It was a single word from Chen Jianchen that changed her life.

For this childhood companion—once intimate, then estranged with age, now growing close again—A’bao felt not only deep gratitude but also a long-hidden admiration and affection. Each day, seeing Chen Jianchen relish the food she cooked, or reading and writing in the tidy study she had cleaned, filled her with satisfaction.

But soon, her “Brother Liuxian” would enter the grand academy in Jiangzhou City. Once enrolled, he might not return home for months at a time.

Jiangzhou City, a place of blooming flowers—she’d heard there was even a special academy for girls, where noble ladies and daughters of prominent families went to study. The women’s academy and men’s academy often held poetry gatherings and social events… Surely, her Brother Liuxian would be very happy there.

“A’bao, have you finished washing the vegetables?”

Hearing Mistress Mo’s call, A’bao started, quickly scooping the greens from the basin and carrying them into the kitchen. Ah, best not to dwell on the future—today is New Year’s Eve. The most important thing is to prepare the family feast. Brother Liuxian has been reading all day in the study; he must be hungry…

(End of Volume One!)